Reflections (Page 3)

Doors and doorways are a powerful symbol in the human imagination. Not many years ago, young members of a family were given a key to the front door on their 18th birthday, marking a point of maturity and responsibility. Doorways are places of encounter — marking arrivals and departures, welcomes and fond farewells.

One morning, at the English Mass on our unforgettable Pilgrimage to Medjugorje, I could not help noticing the mother calming her disabled son with a gentle pressure on his arm when his desire to communicate — or to pray? – resulted in his becoming too noisy a participant in the Eucharist celebration. Every time she did this, he turned to her with an unforgettable look of pure love and joy, willingly obeying her.

By EDMUND ADAMUS, Director, Office of Marriage and Family Life – Diocese of Westminster

Yes it’s that time of year where little by little, many households are a hive of activity preparing for a return to schools, colleges and institutions of learning. But as this tsunami of new, yet familiar, demands sweeps over us, let’s not forget that ultimately the home is tasked and graced to be THE school of many things: It’s a school of love, faith, virtues, humanity, dignity, communion, fraternity, hospitality, friendship, moral courage, frugality but abundance (not wanton luxury) when appropriate, elegance, joy and above all sacrifice.

Children love stories; so do adults. We enjoy telling stories and listening to them, too, and we love to hear a good story again and again. Our storytelling takes many forms — a mum or dad reading a story to their child at bedtime, with the favourite story requested yet again. Try to skip a few lines and you will be called back on track!

The congregation of the Holy Spirit fondly known to us as the Holy Ghost Fathers came to live in St Joseph’s Parish in 1947. For the last 68 years, they have witness to the gentle action of the Holy Spirit at work in the ordinary and everyday events of our lives.

St Joseph’s Deacon Barry and his wife, Julia, are taking part in this week’s “Living Below the Line” challenge, which involves spending only £1 each day on food for five days. The challenge reconises that 1.2 billion people live on the equivalent of this every day of their lives. Here, he keeps us updated with his progress.

By EDMUND ADAMUS, Director, Office of Marriage and Family Life – Diocese of Westminster

Those of you who have been receiving and reading these weekly ‘thoughts for the weekend’ reflections since the beginning, may recall that I stated the original purpose of them was an opportunity, week by week, in between the Extraordinary Synod on the family (2014) and the Ordinary Synod on the family (2015), to focus some attention on the spirituality of Christian spousal love and family life.

By EDMUND ADAMUS, Director, Office of Marriage and Family Life – Diocese of Westminster

This week marked the solemnity of St. Joseph, much overlooked in my view. His purity and integrity of heart, mind and body is such a wonderful and inspiring model for all of us, especially boys and men. When I think about St. Joseph, the recent words of Pope Francis in his official message for World Youth Day 2015 – “Have the courage to be happy” – echo with me where he declares,“We need to protect the purity of what is most precious of all: our heart and our relationships. This ‘human ecology’ will help us to breathe the pure air that comes from beauty, from true love, and from holiness.”